I don't own anything Inuyasha.
A/N: Unbeta'd, so I apologize if there are mistakes.
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The massive white dog studied Kagome speculatively as the glowing reiki faded from her tentative petting until a small, black nose popped out from underneath the curtain of ivory fur at his chest. A dark puppy revealed herself out of the protective shelter of Sesshoumaru's structure, but cowered back when the grinning vet attempted to reach for her.
Kagome quickly pull back as the thunderous growl reverberated in the air. Once again, she fought the urge to run and the previously latent powers sparkled in her discomfort. The inu sniffed the air, ceasing his hostility as the fresh wave of spiritual energy wafted in the short distance between them. Though she could not detect any youki in Sesshoumaru, the dog clearly could sense her, and he calmed as the miko's resuming touches became bolder. The soft fur that billowed over his form glided smoothly through her caresses and he rumbled low in his throat once she gently scratched behind his ear. If it wasn't for the golden eyes, she would have second-guessed his identity. The pack of mismatched pups watched as their alpha approved of their new company and a flurry of furry tails wagged. Even the tiny black pup panted happily.
"Kagome," Nathan teased cautiously. "You're a natural Doolittle."
Her petting ceased and she looked over her shoulder in confusion. "I'm a what?"
He sighed and gently placed his hand on his recovering wife. "Cultural differences, nevermind."
A cold nose nudged Kagome's hand, effectively directing her attention back to the canine that sat at eye level with herself, and Sesshoumaru cocked his head to the side in a way that reminded her of Inuyasha. She kept her eyes on his, but addressed the humans behind her. "We have to get these guys back to my office. Are you two up for a long night?"
Kimiko groaned half-heartedly and her husband chuckled. "Only if I can make a beer run."
"Get dinner while you're out," Kagome requested as she stroked the fallen taiyoukai comfortingly again. "We have to travel to my clinic. Will that be okay?"
A nervous, feminine laugh finally broke from her long-time friend. "You talk to him like he can understand you." The dog let loose a loud, clipped bark, followed by a choir of answering yeips from the others, and the vet already felt the tension pulse at her temple. "Whoa… did he just answer you?"
"Eh heh," she waved off the odd incident off dismissively to her two intrigued and confused friends. "Dogs are just very perceptive, that's all."
Nathan smiled, enjoying another private joke with himself, while Kimiko looked at the dog tensely. When he snorted dismissively back, she could not hold back the startled, "Meep!" that escaped her lips.
It took some serious canine convincing, but most of the pack were now loaded between the three vehicles. Kimiko gently closed her passenger door and sighed before addressing Kagome. "Are you sure you want to take him?" She nodded her head in Sesshoumaru's direction. "All by yourself?"
"He'll be fine," she reassured while clapping her hands on her thighs to beckon the last of the pack into her car. Excitedly, the small, black pup began to race her way and her trained eye noticed the limp in her stride. The mutt only got a few paces before Sesshoumaru grabbed the scruff of her neck with his daunting jaws and carried her the rest of the way. "Plus, I have this little girl with me, too."
Kagome could see the stress in her friend's eyes, but continued to smile. "I'll meet you guys back at the clinic. Don't let your husband forget; I expect sukiyaki waiting. A bunch of it." She fully opened the front door for the huge dog to jump in. His form filled the empty space almost entirely and tucked the puppy under his chest once again before sitting regally in wait. Waving goodbye to the other woman, she grabbed the passenger seatbelt out of habit and halted once she caught his stare. Kagome knew she should secure him in, but the act felt as if she was leashing the great demon. Moving slowly, the nylon strap crossed over the large expanse of his chest and the buckle clicked in without protest from her odd companion. He budged somewhat for comfort, but his manner seemed more well-trained than personified. It could have been his lordly control reflecting through his current state, but witnessing the youkai in such a simplistic manner was quickly dispelling the notion. It was just possible that Sesshoumaru had fully become just a canine between the centuries that separated their last meeting.
The night became brighter the closer she drove towards the inner city. Tall buildings and artificial lights began to hide the starry skies that Kagome remembered fondly from her past travels. Like so many of her skills acquired in the Feudal Era, navigating by the stars was one that held very little significance in her own era. Until tonight, even her spiritual energy was superfluous. Kagome led a meaningful life, one of purpose and happiness, but it was one she had built all on her own. She was not the hero miko or jewel protector or any other title thrown upon her by fate. There was once a time she believed she would never get used to a quieter life, but mostly she was content.
That did not mean meeting Sesshoumaru tonight wasn't thrilling, or scaring the hell out of her.
"So," she started conversing and only felt slightly foolish for talking to animals. In private, she did it way more than she would have felt comfortable admitting. "Is everybody okay back there?"
Five cramped dogs shifted together through every turn and bump, effectively ignoring their chauffeur while staring out the tinted windows. She grinned and glanced quickly at Sesshoumaru. "How about you, are you doing okay?" Her voice became softer and the canine did look her way. She looked for a few moments and searched for another sign the demon was still there somewhere. The vacant expression in his gaze was enough to make Kagome want to stare at the road the rest of the journey. Vaguely disheartened, the vet pressed the button to roll down Sesshoumaru's window. He immediately stuck his large head out and she giggled to herself. It might not be flying like the way he used to, but he was enjoying it all the same. Knowingly, she took the lengthy route back so he could sail through the air just a little longer. Who knew when was the last time he was able to.
Barks and yips created a deafening din as the pack was unloaded and organized for Kagome's inspection. Nathan and Kimiko quickly made themselves useful by commanding the grooming room with a promise from their veterinarian friend that she would take care of the dry cleaning bill. Biting her lip, Kagome entertained a small notion that if Sesshoumaru had survived in this form, then perhaps others could have as well, and feared Myoga might be attached to one of the pack. Severely doubting it, and pretty sure Kimiko would make quite the fuss if any flea they washed away was wearing a green sweater, she hid herself in an examination room and began to check each and every dog.
She started with the largest dogs while she still had the energy to deal with their powerful fidgeting. Sesshoumaru stood in the room, guarding each procedure, and sniffed over every pup before he allowed Kagome to hand them to the other humans. The inuyoukai's scrutiny was a hindrance to her attentions and any hope of doing her job in a timely manner.
Checking the ears of a collie-mix male, she looked under a lowered brow to Sesshoumaru and allowed her frustration to finally seep out. "Do you have to keep staring?" She wanted to be accommodating, truly, but she had grown accustomed to dealing with normal dogs; not the alpha-status, power seeking, holy-than-thou and stubborn-as-shit inus that once distracted her from a normal teenage girl's life.
Sesshoumaru sneezed and leveled his glare at her again. "You know," Kagome crooked her jaw. "After a couple of these I think you would know I'm not going to hurt any of them."
He yawned and did not acknowledge her sarcasm in any way she could detect. The vet sighed dejectedly and grumbled, "Good luck getting a treat from me later."
The pack was all in good health, pretty decently feed, and, other than the fleas, relatively clean of illnesses and skin problems. She scanned each one for microchips and had actually found a few, but every owner was either listed as deceased or their phone numbers were out-of-date.
"Were you taking care of all these guys?"
Sesshoumaru continued to sit silently.
She persisted through the one-sided conversation, "If it means anything, you did a good job."
There was still no reaction and the woman tried not to feel ignored.
Finally, she was down to the last two. Kneeling down, Kagome gestured towards the smallest sleeping under the alpha's chest. "She is next."
Her hand slowly inched closer and he made no move to stop her, even when Kagome rustled her small head to rudely awaken the drowsy dog. She lifted the tiny girl to the table and began her normal examination. It did not take long, however, to find the source of her limp.
"I have to reset her leg and give her antibiotics," Kagome said more to herself. Her attention went to the stiff, protective dog perceptively. This was not going to go over well. Reiki flashed across her skin and he straightened, wise to the fact that he was about to be made severely unhappy.
Her initial impulse was to restrain him outside, but the idea of humiliating him to that point wrung her heart. He might no longer be mighty, but he was still Sesshoumaru, and she had taken him down enough pegs in his life.
So, instead, she beckoned him over. "Come here. This is going to hurt her, but it will help her."
His large claws clicked noisily against the laminate flooring until his imposing form stood dangerously close to Kagome. She attempted to gulp down her apprehension and prayed he could understand her. Pointing at the fractured area, she tried to explain herself. "If I don't fix this, she will never walk straight again. It is going to hurt her, do you understand?"
Sesshoumaru sniffed at the inflamed area and the puppy whined. His attentions gave her time to quickly collect the casting equipment, plus the antibiotics and morphine. She inhaled to calm her fear before holding up the sealed needle for Sesshoumaru's inspection.
"Do you see what I am going to have to do?"
His bulking muscles coiled and her breaths quickened. It was a stupid idea, but she had no idea how else to explain, so she uncapped the empty, thin needle and pushed it into the fleshy part of her bicep before she could second-guess herself.
His hackles rose smelling the faint tint of her blood and, not wanting to lie, she did not hold back the pained expression on her face. She disposed of the needle quickly and, after wiping the pinprick with a cotton ball, held up another directed at his most protected charge.
Expectantly, he growled. What was startling, however, was that he took a few steps back. Kagome was confused if this meant he comprehended her treatments, or if he was scared of getting a shot himself, but she pressed forward. She cautiously filled the syringe with the necessary pain killer, pinched the fleshy part behind the scared puppy's neck, and, keeping one eye on Sesshoumaru, drove the pointy object into the thin skin.
Kagome let out a relieved breath when the pup did not even shudder. Sesshoumaru remained back, one fang barred and golden eyes watchful as she continued her ministrations with more ease. Thankfully, the young mutt was more resilient than she expected and took the second injection then sheering clippers to her leg with the same slightly affronted grace. Her hands went to the hairless, broken limb and she tensed her grip. With a small crunch, quickly followed by an extremely loud cry from her patient, the bone aligned.
The next scream came from a startled Kagome, but it was cut off as the air was forced from her lungs. Cotton balls and pet treats littered the ground when Sesshoumaru pounced and pinned her. The sharp claws donning his heavy paws pressed her shoulders harshly against the cold wall. His gleaming teeth barely held back his contemptive growl that ghosted warmly across her face. Kagome lifted her hands to shove him off her, by instinct, and she didn't notice that she was engulfed in pink, spiritual flames until his growl darkened. Fearfully, she stilled.
The barks emitting from the outside kennels grew louder, nearly cancelling out Kimiko's calls from the grooming room. "Kagome!? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine!" she shouted back, wincing when her voice cracked. The unessential miko and former taiyoukai stared into each other, panicked and reproachful respectively, until a whimper broke through the conflict. They both turned to the languid dog on the table wagging her small, stunted tail.
Sesshoumaru pushed off Kagome, who groaned at the weight, and scented over the smallest of his pack. After a few moments rattled by the barking from the rest, the inu appeared satisfied and glared towards the healer. Obstinate, she glared back and rubbed her sore shoulders. "It has been a long time since you haven't trusted me, Sesshoumaru."
The dog snorted and a sputtering spark of youki edged at her senses. Her aura reached out for it, but it was gone as soon as it was there. The miko stared at him wide-eyed, only seeing the dog that he became looking back. She sighed. The sensation was almost certainly more out of hope than progress, and she resigned herself to ease her imagination.
She trudged back over to the droopy puppy and began to cast her leg. While the tension between her and Sesshoumaru was broken, the headache throbbing at her temples increased as the dogs continued to voice their aggravation. It was only worsened by the repetitive chanting of her two friends unsuccessfully trying to calm them down.
The final wrappings were just being put in place when she sarcastically shifted her weary look his way. "I don't suppose you can tell them to keep it down, can you, Sesshoumaru? "
The white dog's head tilted to the side once again and she rolled her eyes, figuring it was too much to wish for. Then, suddenly, he let loose a loud, clipped bark and the darkened halls of her small clinic silenced.
Kagome smiled. He had understood her. More importantly, he was listening to what she had to say. Maybe he was more sentient than she had originally believed.
Embracing the bandaged black dog, her eyes alit with new optimism. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru."
His tail barely waved when another faded flicker of his aura died before she could notice it.
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A/N: Thanks for reading/reviewing :]
I am pleasantly surprised at the attention this story has received so far. Thank you, truly, for the favs and reviews. You guys are the best.
Madison, here is an update, so I will keep my eyes open for some Red Lotus after this next week. :]
Shout out to fellow SessKag and KakaSaku lover 1CarinoInu for finishing a fic this last week. Sooo jealous of that accomplishment lol.
And, to KuranKumiko, who is generally amazing for all her support. :] I hope you keep liking these stories.